1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an application platform for carrying out interrupt display of a different application screen when an application screen is to be displayed on an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
When an application screen indicated by a user is to be displayed on an image forming apparatus represented by a multi function peripheral, prior to the display of the application screen indicated by the user, a different application screen is sometimes displayed. For example, when the application indicated by the user is going to display a copy screen, there is a case that a different application calculates the upper limit number of prints and the number of accumulated prints for the user, and displays the print record before the display of the copy screen.
On the other hand, there is proposed a technique to compare a security level and user's access authority defined for each application function and to display an authentication screen instead of the application screen when the user is not authorized to use the function (refer to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-172398, for example).
However, the technique disclosed by above Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-172398 performs determination whether or not to display the authentication screen, in a platform part of the image forming apparatus. Therefore, it is actually impossible to display any desired application by a standard other than the access authority, since it is necessary to modify the platform part of the image forming apparatus. Further, the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-172398 has a configuration only capable of displaying a predetermined authentication screen.